A lot of people wonder whether they should do their cardio before or after weights. There really isn't a simple answer to this question. Depending upon your personal situation or fitness goals, there are a couple of variables that will influence the answer of whether you should do cardio before weight training or cardio after weight training. Perhaps the number one, biggest influence in this answer is your individual fitness goals. This will be determined by whether you want to train to gain strength, if you want to lose weight or if you are looking at improving your overall health, all of which will influence whether it is more important to do your cardio before or after weights.
Aside from the goals you want to achieve in your fitness workout regimen, there are other things to consider that will determine which order you should do your cardio and your weight training.
#1 - Intensity - Are you doing an aerobic activity that it HIIT or high intensity interval training, or are you working out at a stead rate of cardio? Beyond that, are you doing heavy lifting, high rep training or low rep training to the point of failure?
#2 - Duration - Are you doing a marathon-style cardio workout or a short and intense workout?
#3 - Conditioning - Think about how your muscles feel after you do weight training and cardio. Which exercise tires your muscles out more?
#4 - Motivation - Do you have a personal preference as to which exercise you want to do first? This could be determined by how focused you are throughout your workout from beginning to end.
In a small study that was conducted by Brigham Young University involving 10 men, it was determined that doing weight training after cardio was the most beneficial method. Here is a rundown of the findings from that study:
* When cardio is done before weights, the body's EPOC or caloric "after burn" effect was at its highest rate.
* It is much more difficult physiologically to do a cardio workout after weight training, than it is to do your cardio work before weights.
* The result of the study was that it is better to do aerobic exercise before weight resistance exercise if you will be combining both workouts into one session.
Unfortunately, this study was only conducted on 10 individuals, so it isn't a hard fast finding by any means. While there are benefits to doing cardio exercise before weight training, there is a lot of doubt raised on whether or not fat truly is burned at a higher rate using this method.
When you think about it, it's very practical to do your cardio exercise after weight training. It is very beneficial for your energy level to be at its highest rate when you are lifting weights. It requires a lot of mental focus and physical coordination to successfully do weight training. A bulk of most cardio workouts involve the legs, making it extremely difficult to be able to do sets of heavy squats following a 45-minute cardio workout. However, the opposite can also be true, as trying to get an aerobic cardio workout after doing sets of heavy squats would be very difficult as well.
In my experience I believe it is best to do cardio after weights or, if possible, split your cardio and weight training into different workout routines, however here are some suggestions to help you determine your own best order:
* To Increase Muscle - It is recommended that you do cardio after weight training so your energy will at peak levels during the weight training portion of your workout.
* To Improve Cardio Endurance - It is recommended that you do a cardio workout before weight training so you can focus your highest energy during the cardio phases and max out your marathon or HIIT workout training.
* To Burn Fat - Six of one, half a dozen of the other! When you are wanting to burn fat there are even more factors to consider, such as burning more calories during a longer cardio routine versus a rigorous weight training routine that might tire you out even faster. However, if you are advanced in your exercise routine, you could do a series of resistance training followed by cardio to help maximize fat burning due to an accelerated release of fatty acids and HGH into the bloodstream. * To Improve Health - If your goal is to improve your overall health, there is no difference in the order that you do your weight training and cardio.
There are so many factors that influence the outcome, which is why there really is no simple answer to the question of doing cardio before or after weights. Doing cardio work before weight training will increase your cardio endurance, however doing cardio work after weight training will help you to bulk up the size and strength of your muscles. This is why it is important to think about your individual goals and make a decision based upon what will help you achieve your goals as efficiently and effectively as possible.
About the Author: Dave provides no-nonsense "best of the best" diet and exercise tips to lose fat and build lean, defined muscle without spending hours in the gym. There's no point in using a bodybuilder routine to get a fitness model physique. These are Not Your Average Fitness Tips. Read more about performing cardio before or after weights and download a FREE copy of Dave's Fitness in a Flash report to help get a lean, athletic look in no time. http://www.notyouraveragefitnesstips.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Martens
Aside from the goals you want to achieve in your fitness workout regimen, there are other things to consider that will determine which order you should do your cardio and your weight training.
#1 - Intensity - Are you doing an aerobic activity that it HIIT or high intensity interval training, or are you working out at a stead rate of cardio? Beyond that, are you doing heavy lifting, high rep training or low rep training to the point of failure?
#2 - Duration - Are you doing a marathon-style cardio workout or a short and intense workout?
#3 - Conditioning - Think about how your muscles feel after you do weight training and cardio. Which exercise tires your muscles out more?
#4 - Motivation - Do you have a personal preference as to which exercise you want to do first? This could be determined by how focused you are throughout your workout from beginning to end.
In a small study that was conducted by Brigham Young University involving 10 men, it was determined that doing weight training after cardio was the most beneficial method. Here is a rundown of the findings from that study:
* When cardio is done before weights, the body's EPOC or caloric "after burn" effect was at its highest rate.
* It is much more difficult physiologically to do a cardio workout after weight training, than it is to do your cardio work before weights.
* The result of the study was that it is better to do aerobic exercise before weight resistance exercise if you will be combining both workouts into one session.
Unfortunately, this study was only conducted on 10 individuals, so it isn't a hard fast finding by any means. While there are benefits to doing cardio exercise before weight training, there is a lot of doubt raised on whether or not fat truly is burned at a higher rate using this method.
When you think about it, it's very practical to do your cardio exercise after weight training. It is very beneficial for your energy level to be at its highest rate when you are lifting weights. It requires a lot of mental focus and physical coordination to successfully do weight training. A bulk of most cardio workouts involve the legs, making it extremely difficult to be able to do sets of heavy squats following a 45-minute cardio workout. However, the opposite can also be true, as trying to get an aerobic cardio workout after doing sets of heavy squats would be very difficult as well.
In my experience I believe it is best to do cardio after weights or, if possible, split your cardio and weight training into different workout routines, however here are some suggestions to help you determine your own best order:
* To Increase Muscle - It is recommended that you do cardio after weight training so your energy will at peak levels during the weight training portion of your workout.
* To Improve Cardio Endurance - It is recommended that you do a cardio workout before weight training so you can focus your highest energy during the cardio phases and max out your marathon or HIIT workout training.
* To Burn Fat - Six of one, half a dozen of the other! When you are wanting to burn fat there are even more factors to consider, such as burning more calories during a longer cardio routine versus a rigorous weight training routine that might tire you out even faster. However, if you are advanced in your exercise routine, you could do a series of resistance training followed by cardio to help maximize fat burning due to an accelerated release of fatty acids and HGH into the bloodstream. * To Improve Health - If your goal is to improve your overall health, there is no difference in the order that you do your weight training and cardio.
There are so many factors that influence the outcome, which is why there really is no simple answer to the question of doing cardio before or after weights. Doing cardio work before weight training will increase your cardio endurance, however doing cardio work after weight training will help you to bulk up the size and strength of your muscles. This is why it is important to think about your individual goals and make a decision based upon what will help you achieve your goals as efficiently and effectively as possible.
About the Author: Dave provides no-nonsense "best of the best" diet and exercise tips to lose fat and build lean, defined muscle without spending hours in the gym. There's no point in using a bodybuilder routine to get a fitness model physique. These are Not Your Average Fitness Tips. Read more about performing cardio before or after weights and download a FREE copy of Dave's Fitness in a Flash report to help get a lean, athletic look in no time. http://www.notyouraveragefitnesstips.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Martens